ᐅ Should the hydraulic balancing and individual room control be deactivated?
Created on: 6 Oct 2020 12:15
G
Golfi90
Hello everyone!
Since the heating season is slowly but surely starting again, I would like to begin adjusting our heating system (Viessmann Vitodens 200W 13 kW).
We built to KFW 55 standard with underfloor heating.
I keep reading about the hydraulic balancing. I would like to check and possibly readjust it!
Our heating technician was very committed… but not much more than that! That’s why I want to check everything myself.
How do I readjust the hydraulic balancing?
I set all room thermostats to full power (room temperature to 30°C (86°F) for example) and then check the “sight glasses” on the manifold to bring all flows to the same level, or am I misunderstanding something?
Since we have a weather-compensated system, does that affect anything?
If the balancing is correctly adjusted, what should I do next?
I would like to deactivate the ERR (electric radiator valves). How do I do that? Can I simply unplug the motors? Would they then be fully open?
If the ERR is deactivated (whatever the procedure), how do I then regulate the room temperature? Only by adjusting the flow or return water temperature of the heating system?
I would like to keep the weather-compensated control (is that possible?). Then I guess I would have to adjust the rest theoretically via the heating curve, right? How does that work?
It would be great if some experts here could offer me a bit of guidance.
Since the heating season is slowly but surely starting again, I would like to begin adjusting our heating system (Viessmann Vitodens 200W 13 kW).
We built to KFW 55 standard with underfloor heating.
I keep reading about the hydraulic balancing. I would like to check and possibly readjust it!
Our heating technician was very committed… but not much more than that! That’s why I want to check everything myself.
How do I readjust the hydraulic balancing?
I set all room thermostats to full power (room temperature to 30°C (86°F) for example) and then check the “sight glasses” on the manifold to bring all flows to the same level, or am I misunderstanding something?
Since we have a weather-compensated system, does that affect anything?
If the balancing is correctly adjusted, what should I do next?
I would like to deactivate the ERR (electric radiator valves). How do I do that? Can I simply unplug the motors? Would they then be fully open?
If the ERR is deactivated (whatever the procedure), how do I then regulate the room temperature? Only by adjusting the flow or return water temperature of the heating system?
I would like to keep the weather-compensated control (is that possible?). Then I guess I would have to adjust the rest theoretically via the heating curve, right? How does that work?
It would be great if some experts here could offer me a bit of guidance.
lesmue79 schrieb:
At a certain point, it is said that increasing the pump capacity no longer makes sense because the efficiency gained by lower supply temperatures in terms of compressor performance is offset by the additional power consumption of the circulation pump.
Just as an example (which doesn’t mean this is the case): what would you prefer—having the compressor fail after 5 years and needing to replace it for €2500-3000 because it was cycling too much? Or having a circulation pump fail after maybe 10 years, costing around €300, and being replaced by the heating technician for about €200? Of course, replacing the circulation pump.
So set all the balancing valves to maximum flow and then gradually lower the heating curve as described, and if the first room gets too cold, raise it by 0.5 degrees, while throttling the balancing valves in the rooms that are still too warm. That’s how it works, right?
And if I could adjust the capacity on my circulation pump, would you recommend setting it to 100% before making that adjustment or not? The problem is that my heat pump’s datasheet shows a dash instead of a value for "Heating circuit, volume flow (pipe sizing)." So should I set the maximum adjustable flow rate in the menu (assuming the circulation pump is adjustable)? And then set it back to auto after balancing?
KingJulien19 Nov 2021 02:12annab377 schrieb:
Of course, replacing the main distribution unit (MDU).
So, you set all thermostatic radiator valves to maximum flow, then gradually lower the heating curve as described, and when the first room gets too cold, raise it by 0.5°C (0.9°F), while slightly throttling the thermostatic valves in the rooms that are still too warm. Is that how it works?
And if I could adjust the output on my MDU, would you recommend setting it to 100% before making these adjustments or not? The problem is that in the datasheet for my heat pump, under "Heating circuit, flow rate (pipe sizing)," there’s just a dash instead of a value. So should I set the maximum adjustable flow in the menu (assuming the MDU is adjustable)? And then set it back to auto after balancing.
I would set the pump to the value it will run at permanently later on. Otherwise, all the adjustments would be pointless.
annab377 schrieb:
Of course, replacing the main circulating pump (MCP).
So, set all flow meters to the maximum flow first, then gradually lower the heating curve as described, and if the first room becomes too cold, increase the curve by 0.5 degrees, while throttling the flow meters in the rooms that are still too warm. Is that how it works?
And if I could adjust the output of my MCP, would you recommend setting it to 100% before making adjustments? The problem is that the data sheet for my heat pump shows a dash instead of a value under "heating circuit, flow rate (pipe sizing)." So should I set the maximum adjustable flow in the menu (assuming the MCP is adjustable) and then return it to automatic after balancing? Maybe this helps with balancing if the pump’s output cannot be adjusted:
This is theoretical, but if all heating circuits are closed except the one to be balanced, and the pump is running at, for example, 50%, it should still provide full flow to the circuit being set, allowing correct adjustment if all others are closed. Afterwards, repeat the process for the next circuit, but close the previously adjusted circuit at the shut-off valve, not at the return regulating valve. Then proceed in the same way with the remaining circuits.
It depends on the heating circuit manifold system. Also, there is a risk that disabling the bypass valve could cause a high-pressure fault because the minimum flow is not maintained through the open heating circuit at that time. Ideally, the bypass valve should be active during balancing; however, this might interfere with proper balancing since some flow bypasses the manifold.
lesmue79 schrieb:
Maybe this helps regarding balancing when the pump cannot be adjusted:
This is just theory, but: if all heating circuits are closed except the one to be adjusted, and the pump is set to, for example, only 50%, it should provide full flow to the circuit being adjusted, allowing you to set it properly when all others are closed. Then repeat the process with the next circuit, but close the previously adjusted circuit at the shut-off valve, not at the control valve on the return line. And so on.
It depends on the heating circuit manifold. Also, I see a risk that if the bypass valve is deactivated, the system could go into high-pressure error because the circuit open at that time definitely won’t have the minimum flow rate. Ideally, the bypass valve should be active during adjustments, but I think that might interfere with the balancing because some of the flow will bypass the manifold. That sounds really complicated, doesn’t it?
I will do it the way I mentioned before.
Lower the heating curve step by step (especially the endpoint during cold days, meaning the higher value), and then open all heating circuits fully beforehand.
Thanks a lot and best regards
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